Hitting Balls off Mats

Hitting Balls off Mats is a short golf blog post that looks at the difference between playing from the grass and the mats. It is a well-known fact that most golfers do not like playing off mats. Interestingly, most Americans and Canadians hate it. Most Europeans are split 50/50, but most British Golfers don’t mind. Before I point out all of the disadvantages of playing off mats, let’s start with the advantages of mats. The Advantages of Hitting Balls off mats The lie of the ball is always good. It is never nestled down in the grass. The mat is always level. No up-and-down lies. Your stance is always the same. There is no need to move after each shot. The Disadvantages of Hitting Balls off mats Mats have a stronger resistance than grass. This is not so good for your wrists and elbows due to the lack of forgiveness, even more so if you have a steep swing. Therefore, any practice sessions off mats should be shorter in length than when practising from the grass. Because of this, you may find that the lifespan of your clubs, especially the irons, is a little shorter. (Only after extreme practice) Your ball flight characteristics will be slightly altered too. For example, the ball flight will tend to be higher when playing off mats due to a higher launch angle. The spin of the ball will also be affected. This will be lower than playing off grass. 10 x Balls hit with a 7 iron of the Grass Ball Speed = 129.3mph Launch = 14.5° Spin = 7613rpm Carry = 179.7yds Height = 95.8ft 10 x Balls hit with a 7 iron of the Mat Ball Speed = 128.5mph Launch = 17.2° Spin 5685rpm Carry = 186.9yds Height = 107.1ft A difference of… Ball Speed = 0.8mph Launch = -2.7° Spin = 1928rpm Carry = -7.2yds Height = -11.3ft I wonder if that is the reason that a lot of golfers think that they hit the ball further than they do. This may also be another reason why the front bunkers come into play more often than any other. Food for thought! What are your thoughts on Hitting Balls off Mats? Have I missed any Pros or Cons? Please leave a comment by filling out a Contact Form. To read more of my golf blog posts, click here. Image by HeungSoon from Pixabay Image by Mads Liebst from Pixabay